For hundreds of years people have been fascinated by flying kites. In China the tradition of kite flying goes back thousands of years and their craftsmanship and elaborate designs are world renown. Flying kites, like badminton is for other asians, has been used for more than just recreational purposes; they have been used extensively in battles as signals and as weapons. The ability of lifting weight through the use of material flying on the wind is in essence the route that allowed humans to take flight in aeroplanes.

A simple triangular kite is utilizing many of the same physical properties that a sail on a boat does, which are similar principles to those of a wing on a plane. All sails use a wing concept which is to have the wind passing more quickly over one edge to create lift through a vacuum. A kite uses this principle in addition to catching the wind full on and stabilising itself with its tail. A kite without a tail, such as the triangular shaped stunt kites, are in effect just a wing which allows for the control and dynamic aerobatics that can be formed.

In addition to the principle of the wing that creates lift, the parachute effect of allowing for a controlled soft (or should we say softer) landing is combined within kite boarding or kite surfing. Very much like a paraglider wing the kite for boarding is an envelope that is filled with the air. This allows it to be shaped into a wing – the principle of which creates lift – and controlled by the guidelines that can shape the wing for turns and collapse the envelope to create descent. The difference between the kites for boarding and surfing is in the material and the construction. For surfing as the kite needs to be able to get wet the material is water resistant, but more importantly the envelope shape is kept through fixed structures within the two pieces and pre-pumped air. Unlike the boarding kite which requires it to be naturally filled with air through manipulation on the ground of the kite.

If you have never felt the true power of the wind, then hold onto a boarding kite – without being on the board – and try to fly one with your feet on the ground. Even with a relatively soft wind, not much more than a breeze, one will soon find that once the kite is up they are holding on at an acute angle and will possibly be able to do small lifts. Avoid large winds when a novice. Once you have mastered the control of the kite, can walk it down a field turn and walk it back again you are ready to get onto the board.

Boarding – remember the brake is in the air! The kite is your engine and braking system, it requires great control to turn without falling off the board and more importantly knowing how to stall the kite to stop the board’s forwards momentum. A nice wide open space is highly recommended. Once you have the basics of control jump on board and feel the exhilaration of hacking along a wide open space on a slighter bigger than average skate board controlling it all with a rather large pillow case that is flying about 30 feet above you!…

Match your strengths to sports you are interested in. For example endurance sports such as long distance running and football may suit those who can complete long physical tasks. Whilst sports such as diving and gymnastics would suit those with good balance and a head for heights.

Avoid sports you have tried and rejected in the past, but don`t turn your back on new new ideas if they appeal. Consider carefully if competitive environments are your kind of thing or whether they leave you feeling stressed.

If you prefer not to compete then there are still many sporting options open to you. Dancing, swimming and skiing are all great fun and can be enjoyed as solitary sports too. Some of these sports may require a lot of kit, but often equipment and clothing can be hired to begin with.

You also need to consider if you will need to practice and train away from your main chosen activity. This may well require an investment in some equipment, but having tried the sport out first you will know whether it is time to commit a little bit more.

With all things considered buy yourself the basic accessories and you can start to really relax and enjoy your chosen sport. This may mean buying a swim kit, some basic weights or a couple of rugby balls for a late afternoon practice. However, whatever you choose as the sport for you, do not forget that the more energy and effort you put in, the more you will get out of it at the end.…

Let the kite tow you through the water, control speed and direction by maneuvering the kite. Practice cutting across the wind and back.

Pulling right then left will accelerate you through the water. This is flying the kite in a figure 8 motion. You can directly control the amount of power by how much, how fast and how hard you fly the kite towards the water and backup again. If you need to rest, fly the kite back up into the neutral position and relax.

Practice getting to your feet on the board on both tacks. Kite must be stable in neutral and you should be hooked into your harness. When you are comfortable take a hand off the bar and pull on the leash to get the board in front of you, pointing across the wind. Put both feet on the board and in or near the straps.
Two ways of starting – water starting and beach starting.

Put the kite in neutral, then position the board in front of you pointing across the wind. Get at least your front foot into the strap taking care not to unbalance the kite. Next dive the kite through the power zone in the direction you wish to go. Note: the less wind the more aggressive the dive. To keep moving, keep the kite in the power zone and try to travel across the wind.

Important Notes
It is safer to learn water starts first. Using your harness to balance the kite in neutral when water starting will keep your head above water and minimize effort. Do not go beyond a safe landing area on shore. Give yourself plenty of room to reach this landing area, and never go out further than you want or can swim.…

Onepump is the original and only time tested proven single inflation system on the market today. Why are we so stoked about an innovation we invented three years ago? Because once you have it you can’t live without it! If you don’t have it, you just don’t know what you’re missing and the performance and durability of your kite is probably suffering.

Beyond convenience Onepump enhances the performance of your kite. It is so simple to use yet it insures proper inflation. Onepump delivers equal air pressure and rigidity to the struts this translates to more stability in flight. To perfectly inflate your kite just pump it up to the recommended PSI. The outdated way is to pump up your individual kite struts only to have a portion of the air rush out while you’re struggling with the pinch off procedure. A keen eye at any crowded kite beach can observe many kites that are under performing due to inflation problems. Onepump is the only system you can trust because of its simplicity and testing over the years.

The key to Onepump’s success is its simplicity. All other “copy cat” versions of Onepump fail trying to get around the Onepump patent. When evaluating the “copy cat” Onepump systems, a series of problems become apparent. These problems range from undesirable weight added to the kite, to the inflation system not working properly, complicated designs and costly repairs.

If you have heard the argument that you need more pressure in struts than in the LE it may be true for other brands, but not Slingshot. Any company making this claim is trying to overcome a deficiency in their strut construction by making them more rigid with excessive air pressure. This doesn’t make sense. We design our struts and LE to work with equal pressure by incorporating such innovations such as Splitstrut, 40 mm seam overlay and Power Curve. This reduces the wear and tear on your seams due to excessive inflation.

Our designers at Slingshot believe that the convenience and performance of Onepump is so important we include it on all of our kites from the freeride “flat kite” the Turbo Diesel, the legendary freestyle/surf kite the Fuel, the technical boost kite the Octane and the light wind dominator the Machine. All kites allow you to inflate in 1 step using 1 valve without pinching.

What makes Onepump unique is that each strut valve is attached to the leading edge bladder with our isolation clip design so when you pump up your leading edge, the struts inflate simultaneously and quickly. The isolation clip feature is also beneficial when deflating your kite because, in the closed position, it allows you the flexibility to deflate your LE while leaving your struts inflated and, in the open position, allows you to quickly deflate your kite without having to release the air at each strut. This feature sets the standard for convenience and safety on water. Onepump also features a one-way intake and a single larger deflate dump valve, so you can quickly deflate your kite.

At Slingshot we never take the easy way out. We put in the hard work involved with rigorous testing producing the quality work and materials that make Slingshot synonymous with legendary durability and construction.
Key bullet points:
• # 1 PROVEN Onepump as determined by you the riders
• Inflation is so fast, you are always the first on the water
• Kite inflation in 1 step using 1 valve without pinching
• Comes stock on all inflatable Slingshot kites since 2004
• All struts inflate simultaneously, evenly and properly
• Large deflate valve makes deflation fast and easy
• Connected bladder chambers with individual isolation clips maintain air in all bladders in the event of bladder leakage. This sets the standard for safety.
• Simple bladder installation and /or repair
• Slingshot’s commitment to unsurpassed customer service…

Slingshot Gorge Girls Kite Clinic went off as a huge success. The four day women’s clinic was organized by Slingshot national team riders, Stacy Boggs and Laura Maher to get more women into the sport of kiteboarding. The clinic was sponsored by Slingshot and DaKine.

The clinic was held in Hood River , Oregon , and the turnout of women was absolutely overwhelming. The clinic reached maximum capacity immediately which was 35 women for 4 days. The demand was so high another 30 women were turned away. Yes, they are anxiously awaiting the next women’s clinic.

Stacy Boggs and Laura Maher organized the clinic with Slingshot as they saw the need for a women’s clinic taught by women. The focus was to create an environment that promoted safety, camaraderie, and stoke on the sport in order to create new women kiteboarders. The women were all absolutely amazing, and everyone left wanting more and ready to embrace the sport.

The first day was all trainer kites, the second day all safety, and then two days of tandem body dragging. The clinic was taught by all women who graciously volunteered their time, and the male assistants and support staff were absolutely invaluable. In an environment taught by women, every woman excelled very, very quickly easily mastering kite control, safety knowledge, and skills on the water. The group was so supportive, and the crowd was overflowing with smiles and excitement. I must say it was great to see a group of 45 women all in one spot kiting. The men gathered just to watch.

The demand and turn out for this clinic made it very clear that the sport of kiteboarding is very exciting and accessible to women. Stacy Boggs and Laura Maher are dedicated to making sure that our beaches are full of women kiteboarders. Clinics are coming again soon, and we thank Slingshot for their support and contributions that they make to women in the sport.…